Tobacco appliance



y 9, 1953 s. A. SCHRAMM 2,638,906

TOBACCO APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 22, 1949 INVENTOR. .fY/ es/e/ 4. fab/21mmI-BYWK A TTORNE) Patented May 19, 1953 hi n i r lates d it ba appjar andmore specifically to devices for preventing fires caused by cigarettestouching bed clothing and the like.

A major fire hazard in homes'and hotels is cigarette smoking in bed.Many people like to end the day with a smoke while they are completelyrelaxed in bed. All too often, however, the smoker falls asleep and thecigarette stub falls from his lips and sets fire to the bed clothing.The present invention, in one of its primary aspects, relates to theprevention of this danger.

It is an object of this invention to provide an appliance which can beattached to a cigarette in such a way that the pleasure of smoking inbed is not diminished and which makes it practically impossible to setfire to the bed clothing.

It is another object of this invention to prevent the lighted end of acigarette from coming in direct contact with inflammable materials.

These and related objects are attained in accordance with the inventionby providing a lightweight device of plastic or other light-weightmaterial which can be attached to a cigarette and be carried therebywhile it is being smoked, the device being of such construction that noportion of it is placed in the mouth of the smoker and which has anopen-work, globular shield within which the lighted end glows at alltimes except at the beginning of each smoke and which prevents the endof a partially-smoked cigarette from touching the bed clothing.Moreover, when the lighted end has been smoked to a certain level, itreaches a tube forming the supporting portion of the device and isextinguished. This tube is heavier than the open-work shield so that ifthe cigarette drops from the mouth (by the relaxation of the mouthmuscles when the smoker falls asleep), the cigarette falls on itsunlighted end since the tube is near this end.

While the arrangement in accordance with this invention has beendescribed before by way of example in connection with a cigarette, it isobvious that similar devices can be provided for use with cigars.Moreover, it is obvious that the device gives protection against fire tonot only bed clothing, but to clothing in general, to carpets, rugs,upholstered furniture, etc.

The invention will be more readily understood by referring to thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingforming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a shield in accordance with the invention shownon a cigarette in the smokers mouth;

lQlaim. (c1. gal -12. 39

. :Fig. I 2 is ran-enlarged iview .of (the shield shown in Fig. 1, theview being taken from the side;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the shield with portions of the support tubethereof being shown in section;

Fig. 4 illustrates the manner in which the shield in accordance with theinvention raises the lighted end of the cigarette from the supportingsurface; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a modified support tubefor the shield.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive,show, by way of example for purpose of illustration, a shield [0 inaccordance with the invention. The shield comprises a support tube H andan open-work globular portion I2 attached at one end only to the supporttube. The whole device is made of lightweight plastic or otherlight-weight material and preferably weighs little more than thecigarette I3 from which it is supported.

The support tube Il may be of smooth cylindrical construction, as shownin Fig. 3, or it may have raised nipples M or the like in the innerportion, thereof to more closely engage the cigarette, this latterconstruction being shown in Fig. 5. The support tube weighs more thanthe globular portion l2 (because of its extreme openwork construction)so that if the cigarette is dropped, the butt end [5 of the cigarette l3(the end adapted to be inserted in the smokers mouth) touches thesupporting object I! (such as bedclothing or carpets, for example) andthe lighted end IE is held up above it, as shown in Fig. 4. Thecigarette then burns (with the end I6 within the globe l2) until thelighted end reaches the tube It where the glow is extinguished. The openwork of the globular portion 12 permits combustion while the lighted endof the cigarette is within its confines.

In order not to diminish the pleasure of smoking, the support tube H isnot positioned to be placed in the smokers mouth but is in front of it,as shown in Fig. 1. The cigarette can be easily placed within thesupport tube I I and slid therein to the most convenient position. Thedevice can be held easily in the palm of the hand and thereby provides aconvenient and restful means of holding the cigarette. Moreover, thedevice, with a lighted cigarette within, may be placed on a table top orother flat surface without danger of causing damage.

It is contemplated that devices of the character described can befurnished by hotels to their guests since the manufacturing costs arevery low. Hotels have had a large number of bed fires and the furnishingof devices of this kind is a cheap form of insurance.

Obviously, many changes can be made in the embodiment described abovewithout departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of whichis indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A shield for a smoking article of the class of cigarettes and the likecomprising a support tube adapted to grip the article near the mouth endthereof and having a length only a small fraction of the length of saidarticle, and an openwork globular member attached at one end portionthereof to the support tube and having an opening at the other endportion for the article to pass therethrough, said globular memberhaving a diameter at the largest portion thereof which is at leastseveral times the articledi-- ameter and having a length which isshorter than that-of said article before use and said support memberhaving a greater density than said globular member.

SYLVESTER A, SCI-IRAMM.

r' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Number 568,470 594,112

Name Date Thal Dec. 10, 1940 Haller Dec. 27, 1910 Fuller Oct. 31, 1911Aptowicz July 11, 1922 Darrow et a1 -1 Jan. 22, 1929 Meyer Dec. 29, 1936Bailey Mar. 9, 1937 Hommer Dec. 8, 1942 Coffey Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS Country Date Great Britain Apr. 6, 1945 Great Britain Nov. 3,1947

